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To Walk With Lions by Carl Schultz
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DVD detailsActor: Hugh Quarshie, Ian Bannen, John Michie, Kerry Fox, Richard Harris Director: Carl Schultz Producer: Gary Howsam Producer: Gordon Freedman Producer: Guy Collins Producer: Hélène Boulay Writer: Keith Ross Leckie Writer: Lorenzo Orzari Writer: Sharon Buckingham DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled) Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC Picture Format: 1.33:1 Running Time: 108 minutes DVD Release Date: 2002-12-17 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of To Walk With LionsDVD Review: understanding how to walk with lions Summary: 2 StarsGeorge Adamson, the famous naturalist who spent his life rehabilitating baby elephants and lions and reintroducing them to the wild is the subject of the movie "To Walk With Lions." As I was doing research about the movie, I found out that it received funding from the Kenyan state and had little to do with Hollywood funding. I thought that was interesting and intelligent on behalf of the Kenyan state and the Wildlife Department (the other state agency that facilitated the shooting of the movie.) Throughout the movie we see breathtaking landscapes, gorgeous animals but also sad and appalling images of slaughtered rhinos and elephants that were killed for their ivory. The movie therefore has a double impact on you: it introduces you to the beautiful sceneries of Kenya and warns you about what still remains the most frequent problem the Kenyan state is confronting with in the national reservations: poaching.
The movie starts with Tony Fitzjohn (John Michie), a British man who likes to pick up and seduce rich female tourists in search for employment. After he loses his job with a safari guide company he looks for any job that will allow him to buy a flight back to England. That is how he meets George and Terrance Adamson and starts working for them as a personal George's personal assistant. As women are his specialty and not lions, he's having troubles in getting used to his new job. While never fully getting used to the lions, he develops a strong friendship with George and his work. Ultimately, he chooses to pick up where George left off (or at least this is what the movie suggests).
Most of the action happens in Kora National Reserve and focuses on minor details in daily life, the return of George's ex-wife, the death of George's brother and the naturalist's unfortunate death. A secondary storyline explores the relationship between Tony and Lucy (Terry Fox), a British Anthropologist who's studying indigenous African ethnic groups.
As I mentioned in the first paragraph the movie is meant to send out two messages. One has to do with what Kenya has to offer, the second with the consequences of poaching. Both are strong messages but the images of dead elephants or rhinos are not for everyone to see as they tend to be quite explicit. The action tends to be quite slow, as not many important events are presented throughout the movie. After the first hour there's not much left to watch. I think the director has focused on some unnecessary details instead of exploring more important and controversial points. Instead of perhaps looking into the clashes between the locals and the Western naturalists, the movie looks at George's eccentricity, or Tony's "rebirth" as a mature and concerned conservationist.
It is a beautiful biographical story, and a well shot movie but not an impressive artistic product.
I'll give it a 4/ 10.
for more reviews and recommendations about African movies, please visit: http://codrinarsene.com/category/discover-african-movies/
DVD Review: BASED on a true Story, Excellent Portrayal Summary: 5 StarsBefore I put my Two Cents in (which is all these reviews are worth), it must be clear this is BASED on a True Story, not Word For Word or Incident By Incident. Richard Harris does an Excellent Portrayal of George Adamason and the work he did. This is not a Kiddie's Movie such as "Born Free", as it involves The Adamson's confrontations with The Low-Life Poacher/Criminals who still infest these areas, nor is it "The Lion King", although this title fits Mr. Adamson. I also recommend "Christian The Lion", which is another Great Story.
DVD Review: The lions in Winter Summary: 3 StarsTo Walk With Lions is a nice film in the better sense of the word. Focussing on George Adamson's later years trying to protect his lion reserve from poachers and government closure, it's a more honest and less Disneyfied take on the material than the whitewashed Born Free, as a surprisingly good cameo by Honor Blackman as a temperamental and manipulative Joy Adamson underlines. Richard Harris looks the spitting image of Adamson (he has the look of that type of white African) and surprisingly leonine, although his voice had gone by this point which does hurt some of his scenes, especially his laughably heroic death scene. It's not a classic by any means, but it's also not a lazy film even if the script isn't great. Not bad.
DVD Review: Excellent Movie!! Summary: 5 StarsFantastic! Actual interaction with lions.... great story and love the scenery. Love the lions too!
DVD Review: Terrible story Summary: 1 StarsI'd give it a zero if I could. I thought it would be a great follow-up to Born Free, but this movie is not for kids. Lots of language, and several "adult" situations - all in the first half hour. I didn't watch any more.
Description of To Walk With LionsTogether with his young assistant Tony Fitzjohn, Adamson battles to keep the animals on his game reserve "Kora" from dangerous poachers and deadly "shifta" warriors who are determinded to destroy rhinos and elephants for their tusks, and lions for their rich pelts. Academy Award Nominee Richard Harris of Gladiator and Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone takes you to the wilds of Africa in an inspirational story about one man's magnificent crusade.
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